_Tatyana Monnay is a sophomore journalism major at MU. She is an opinion columnist who writes about politics for The Maneater._
As fall semester begins, MU’s greek life partying is at an all time high. With recruitment, there is an unbelievable amount of excessive drinking. Students tend to go overboard with their drinking, making it easier for them to act on their bad decisions. In some cases, it’s texting their ex. In more serious cases, it’s much more sinister.
The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), an organization that fights against sexual abuse and assault, reports that more than 50 percent of college sexual assaults happen in August, September, October and November. This increased rate can be attributed to all the events that go on during fall semester, such as tailgating, football games and more.
In just one year, I was warned multiple times to avoid multiple fraternities by other students who have either been assaulted themselves or know someone who has been at that fraternity. I was warned one time too many. I can guarantee that I am not the only student who received these ominous warnings.
To put it simply, it is just not right, nor is it fair. Students should be able to go to a party and have a fun, safe night. The thought of being a possible sexual assault victim should not even be in the back of students’ minds.
There are too many cases of students having been assaulted and not enough being done to prevent it. It has been proven time and time again that students are being taken advantage of by their own peers. An estimated 30.8 percent of senior female MU students were victim to some kind of unwanted sexual activity, according to a 2015 Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct.
Sexual assault stems from the fact that students do not have a clear concept of consent, either because they have never been taught or they simply do not care. In a 2015 report from Violence and Gender, about a third of male university students did not have a clear understanding of what constitutes as rape.
Additionally, campus authorities should continue to take multiple courses and workshops to help them understand how to properly speak about sexual violence with victims. This will encourage victims to report their assault.
This school year, all colleges and universities should continue to promote a safer environment, stop contributing to rape culture and take serious actions to keep their campuses safe for all students. Either way, the university is morally obligated to seriously fix this issue.
